Re: worth learning thai reading? How About Burmese?

Dear Robert

If you plan to learn another Buddhist language to reinforce your
knowledge of Pali, then Burmese seems to be a very good candidate.

Reasons for this suggestion are as follows.

1. You will be able to consult the mulit-vulume Tipitaka Pali-Myanmar
Dictionary, the largest so far in the world with each volume about
the size of PTS Pali-English dictionary. Each entry comes with its
grammatical analysis in addition to full discussion of any
grammatical terms of Pali as entries in their own right.

2. All the major Tipitaka Pali-texts and their Atthakathaas and
(Tikaas as well?) are available in Pali-Myanmar Nissaya texts.

A Pali-Myanmar Nissaya text is a textual sentential dictionary.
Unlike a normal alphabetical dictionary, the meanings of each Pali
word in a sentence are provided in Burmese side by side within that
sentence.

Pali-Myanmar Nissaya texts are not normal translations of original
texts as we know it. They are more of study aids and intended for the
convenience of students and teachers of Pali. Grammatical
discussions, not found even in the grammar texts, are also
interspersed wherever necessary. Their regular real-life situational
advice on how to connect parts in convoluted paragraphs in advanced
Pali texts are priceless and cannot be found in grammar texts.

One of the immediate benefits of having Pali-Myanmar Nissaya texts is
that they can remove the chore of having to consult a dictionary for
new words. If you read a Pali text with the aid of its Nissaya text,
all you need do is syncronize corresponding lines in both texts.

3. Burmese language has only 3 tones. So it has fewer tones than Thai
or Chinese.

4. Burmese alphabets closely correspond to the Burmese sounds. Once
you have mastered them and Burmese writing system of combining those
letters, you have already learnt the language by half.

As soon as you can pronounce the written Burmese, we can understand
you. When you get used to spoken Burmese, you can adjust later.

5. Burmese grammar is fairly flexible.

6. Unlike English, each Burmese sound has meaning, so you can create
your own words by conbining them to convey your meanings. Even if the
words you thus created are never heard before, we can understand your
message.

There you have it.

Suan


--- In palistudy@..., "robertkirkpatrick.rm"
<robertkirkpatrick@...> wrote:


Dear Jim, Nina , Teng Kee and all,
I am in Thailand for the next few months and was thinking of taking
up
Thai reading classes. Will this be useful for pali? For example does
Budsir give the thai translations as well as the Pali?
I need extra incentive to study as living in japan i will forget the
thai
unless I can bring it into my pali studies.
Robert